2012 AUDI A8 starting

2 Table of contents Vehicle literature .. .. .. .. .. ... .
5
About this Owner's Manual . . . 6
Controls and equipment .. ... .
Instruments and controls .. . .
General illustration ......... .. ... .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ........ .. .. .. . .
Instruments ............ ... .. ... .
Warning/indicator lights .......... .
Driver information display .. .. .. ... .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) . . .
Opening and closing .. .. .... . .
Keys .. ...... ........... .. .. ... .
Power locking system ..... .. .. .. . .
Rear lid .. .. ........ ..... .. ..... .
Child safety lock . .......... ... .. . .
Power windows . .......... ... .. . .
Valet park ing . ........... .. .. ... .
Sliding/tilting sun roof ... .. .. .. .. . . 8
8
8
10
10
11
23
26
28
28
30
34
37
38
39
40
Panoramic sunroof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Clear vision .. ........ .. .. .. .. . .
Lights ... .. ............. .. .. .. . .
I nterior lights .............. .. ... .
V1s1on ..... ... .... ......... .... .
Wiper and washer system ... ... .. . .
Mirrors ................. .. .. ... .
Digital compass .......... .... ... .
Seats and storage ....... .. .. . .
General recommendat ions ..... .. . .
Front seats .............. .... ... .
Rear seats .. ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. . . 43
43
46
47
48
51
52
54
54
55
57
He ad restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Seat memory . ... ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Full-length center console .... .. ... . 62
64
L uggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Pa ss-thro ugh with ski sack . . . . . . . . . 67
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
12-vo lt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Cooler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Warm and cold ... .......... .. .
Climate controls . .... .......... .. .
On the road ... ... .......... .. .
Steering .. .... .. ... .. ........ .. .
Starting and stopping the engine ... .
E lectromechanical parking brake ... .
Speed warning system ............ .
Cru ise control .... .... ...... ... .. .
Audi adaptive cruise control
and braking guard ......... .. .
Introduction . .. .. ..... ......... . .
General information ............. .
Audi adaptive cruise control ... .. .. .
Audi braking guard ............ .. .
Messages . .. .. . .............. .. .
Audi lane assist ............ .. .
Lane assist ...... ............. .. .
Audi side assist .............. .
Lane Change Assistant ........ .. .. . 75
75
79
79
80
82
84
85
8 7
87
87
89
93
94
96
96
99
99
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Driving settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Raising/lowering the vehicl e . . . . . . . . 105
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Night vision assistant . . . . . . . . . 106
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Pedestrian detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Pedestrian warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Switching on and
off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Settings in the MMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 10 9
t ip tron ic (8 -speed transmission) . . . . . 109

4 Table of contents
Do-it-yourself ser vice . . . . . . . . .
256
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Trunk escape hand le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Emergency warning triangle . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Bulbs .. .. .. ... .... ...... ... ... .. 269
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 270
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Start ing by push ing or tow ing . . . . . . . 270
Starting with jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . 270
Use of jumper cab les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 1
E mergency towing with comme rcial
tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Lifting vehicle .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... 274
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
General information . . . . . . . . . . 276
Explanation of technical data . . . . . . . 276
Vehicle ident ificat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
372 hp, 8-cylinder engine, w ith all
wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
500 hp, 12-cyl inder engine, with all
wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 280
War ranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Operating your vehicle outside the U.S.A . o r Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Aud i Service Repair Man uals and
Li terature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Addit ional accessories, modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Declaration of Compliance,
Te lecommunication or Electronic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Index ..... ..... ..... ...... ..... 285

(!) Door handle
@
®
©
®
®
Audi side assist d isplay
Power locking sw itches
Audi side assist button
A ir vents with thumbwheel
Control leve r for :
- Turn signal an high beam
- Audi lane assist ..... ... .. .
0 Multifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Drive r's airbag
- Driver information system but-
tons . ............... .. .. .
- Audio/video, telephone, navi­
gation and vo ice recognition
buttons
- Sh ift padd les ........ .. .. .
@ Instrument cluster .. ... .. .. .
® W indshield washer system
l ever .................... . .
@ Starting the engine i f there is a
malfunction . .. ..... ... .. .. .
@ Buttons for:
- MM I display
- Electronic Stab ility Contro l
( E SC) .. ............. .... .
- Emergency flashe rs . ..... . .
@ Buttons for:
- Steering wheel adjustment
- Steering wheel heating*
@ Lever for:
- Cruise contro l system
99
33
99
45
96
146
23
1 12
10
48
8 1
189
44
79
78
85
- Adaptive cruise cont ro l* . . . . . 87
(§ Eng ine hood re lease . . . . . . . . . 219
@ Data Link Connector for On
Board Diag nostics (OBD II) . . . . 26
@ Light switch and inst rument il-
l umination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 47
@ Buttons for :
- All-wea ther lights* 43
- Nigh t vision assista nt* . . . . . .
106
- Rea r fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
@ Power exterior mirror adjust -
ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
51
In strument s and control s 9
@) Rear lid switch .... .. .. ..... .
@ Power w indows .. .......... .
@ Memo ry function buttons .... .
@ MMI display
@ I n d icator lights/buttons for
- P ASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF
- Par king system . .. ........ .
- Rear w indow power sun shade
@ G love compartment . ..... .. .
@
@
@
Front passenger's airbag .... .
Analog clock .. .. .. ........ .
Climate controls
@ MMI controls
@ Se lector lever (a utomat ic trans-
m1ss1on) . ........ .. .. ..... .
@ Center console w ith cupholder
@ El ectromechanical pa rking
br ake .. .. .. .. .... ........ .
@ I START ENGINE STOPI button
(D Tips
34
38
62
153
115
47
72
146
25
76
109
71
82
80
- Some of the equipment o r feat ures
shown in the genera l ill ustration may be
standard equ ipment on your vehicle or
may be opt ional equ ipment depending
on your model. Always ask your author­
ized Aud i dea ler if you have a quest io n
about your vehicle .
- Operat ion of the Multi Med ia Interface
(MMI) is described in a separate manua l.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
A WARNING ,~
- Always observe the warnings in
c:> page 213, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
-USA models: If the - warning light,
the
Iii warning light and them warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer or a quali­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light ., the
Ii] warning light and the
ABS warning light
ll] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­ dent . Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
parking brake released, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
mediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­ spected.
-Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
vehicle . Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond with maximum stopping power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is released.
- (USA models) • (Canada models)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from rolling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could roll away even
on a small incline.
Press brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
c:> page 83.
Please release parking brake
To release the parking brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time. The parking brake only release au­
tomatically if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
IIJ Parking brake!
If the IIJ indicator light turns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level IJ-

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
h igh or the coo lant level is too low.
.,. Pull off the road.
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn off the engine.
.,. Check coolant level¢
page 22 7.
.,. Add coolant if necessary¢
page 228 .
.,. Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/indicator light goes out.
.,. Co ntact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc ­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING ,_
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 44, Emergency
flasher.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- Th e engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 213,
Engine compartment.
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunct ion in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your eng ine .
4'-Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Addit ionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) wi ll also sound .
For more Information¢
page 134, ~ Safety
belt warning light .
f::I Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The. warning/indicator light illum inates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started .
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the
generator or vehicle electrical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediate ly . Because the veh i­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
autho rized Aud i dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.

- the temperature in the luggage compart­
ment is below 131 °f (55 °C). The cooler
switches off automatically if the tempera­
ture in the luggage compartment exceeds
131 °f (55 °C) . Once the temperature falls
below 131 °f (55 °C) again, the cooler
switches on aga in automatically .
- the battery is adequately charged . The cool­
er switches off automatically if the vehicle
battery voltage falls below a minimum lev­
el. This prevents the battery from discha rg­
i ng . The cooler switches back on again auto­
matically when the battery voltage increases
again (e.g . after starting the engine).
The cooler cools to 42.8 °f
(+ 6 °C) and the
freezer cools to 21.2 °f (-6 °C) in opt imum
cooling cond itions . Th e cooling performance
is affected by the temperature in the luggage
compartment. The temperature inside the
cooler will be higher if the luggage compart­
ment is hot.
A WARNING
To avoid putting the occupants at any risk,
please observe the following safety rules:
- The maximum capacity is 2.5 kg (5.5
lbs.).
- Never overload the cooler. This could
cause injury in the event of a collision or
sudden braking.
- The coo ler lid must always be kept closed
while you are driving. Make sure the re­
taining catch is securely engaged. The
contents of the coo ler could be thrown
forward into the passenger compart­
ment in the event of a collision or under
sudden braking - risk of injury!
- Inflammable liquids, gas canisters, etc.
must not be stored in the cooler -risk of
exp losion! This also includes any prod­
ucts that might emit volatile or inflam­
mable gases.
- Liquids will freeze at temperatures at or
below 32 °f (0 °C) and may cause glass
bottles to burst!
Seats and storage 73
(D Note
-The venti lation openings for the cooler
are located on the back pane l trim in the
luggage compartment and
must be kept
clear at all t imes.
- If the cooler is not functioning properly,
switch it off to prevent further damage.
Have it checked by a qualified workshop .
Operation
Applies to vehicles: wit h coo ler
Fig. 76 Rea r ce nte r armre st
The cooler is located in the rear cabin behind
the center armrest or behind the sliding cover (depending on the equipment fitted in your
vehicle) . The cooler and freezer only work
when the ignition is on .
Opening / closing the cooler
.,. To open the cooler, pull the release lever@
~ fig. 76.
.,. To close the cooler, push the lid back into its
original position. You should hear the re­
lease lever
(D engage if the lid is properly
closed.
Switching on /off
.,. Press button @ 9 fig. 76 to sw itch the cool­
er on/off. The symbol in the button is lit
when this function is activated .
.,. Press button
@ to switch the freezer on/
off . The symbol in the button is lit when this
function is activated .

80 On the road
the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignition.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig. 81 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
• Step on the brake pedal¢.&_ .
• Press the
!START E NGIN E STOPI button
¢
fig . 81 -the engine will start .
By pressing the
I START ENGIN E STOP I button
without depress ing the brake pedal, the igni­
tion is on and switched off by pressing it
again.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must fi rst bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a sho rt time . Repeat sta rting p rocedu re.
Driver message in the instrument cluster
display
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en­
g ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The
engine can only be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
I! Convenience key: Is key not in the vehi­
cle?
T his message appears along with the I! sym­
bol if the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the eng ine running.
It is intended
to remind you (e.g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
ter key.
If the maste r key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignition after stop ­
ping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine again . Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
T his message app ears for safety reasons
along with an aud ible warning tone if the P
selector lever position is not engaged when
stopp ing the engine wi th the
I S TART ENGIN E STOP I button. Select the P se ­
lector lever position . Otherwise the vehicle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recognised. Hold back of key against
marked area. See owner's manual.
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion
¢ page Bl.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
and open the driver 's door. The locked steer­
ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
-
- Never allow the engine to run in conf ined
spaces -danger of asphyxiat ion .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serio us injuries.

CD Note
-Avoid high engine rpm, fu ll throttle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
reached operating temperature -other ­
wise you risk engine damage.
- T he engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the veh icle.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the en­
gine is switched off -there is a risk of
damag ing the engine . Allow the eng ine
to run at idle for about 2 m inutes befo re
swit ching it off.
@ Tips
- If you open the dr iver's door w ith the ig­
nit ion on, a buzzer sounds and the mes­
sage
Igniti on i s on appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay. Switch the ign it ion
off .
-If you leave the vehicle with the ignit ion
swi tched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certain period of time. Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exter ior lights wi ll switch off as well
when that happens .
Stopping the engine
... Bring your vehicle to a comple te stop .
... Move the selector lever to the P or N posi ­
t ion .
... Press the !START E NGIN E STOPI button
Q page 80, fig. 81 .
Emergen cy off
If necessary, the engine can be swi tched off
with the selector lever in the R, Dor S posi ­
tions . The eng ine stops if you press the
I START E NGIN E STOP I button at speeds be low
6 mph (10 km/h).
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
On th e road 81
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking . Because
you cannot s teer and brake as you usual­
ly would, th is could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons , you sho uld a lways
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P . Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the eng ine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can cont in ue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the igni tion
switched off .
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat b uildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays .
~
CD Note
Do not stop the eng ine immediately after
hard or extended driving. Keep the engine
running for approximate ly two minutes to
prevent excess ive heat bu ild -up .
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances , for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter ­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
ij
:c
---- -~
Fig . 82 Center co nsole/m aste r key : star ting the engine
I
if th ere is a malfun ction Ill>